


You Make It Easier When Life Gets Hard

by kelofmindelan



Category: Chronicles of Prydain - Lloyd Alexander, Disney - All Media Types, The Black Cauldron (1985)
Genre: A lot of their first meeting is pulled straight from the book because I love that dialogue, Childhood Friends, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 12:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6050955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelofmindelan/pseuds/kelofmindelan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eilonwy still remembered the day he moved in next door. Her room had a window that looked directly into the room across, close enough that they could climb from one to the other. Sometimes she imagined climbing into that other house, down the stairs, and running away never to be found. But she was practical enough to know that she would be in at least as much danger on the street as she was in this house, if not more. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t as they say.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Make It Easier When Life Gets Hard

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the tumblr prompt 'childhood/best friends au'. I was also really inspired by a picture going around of two houses with the ledges almost touching on the second floor, so obviously that made its way into the story.
> 
> Title is taken from a line in Jason Mraz's "Lucky". Which you should probably also listen to as you read this.

Eilonwy still remembered the day he moved in next door. Her room had a window that looked directly into the room across, close enough that they could climb from one to the other. Sometimes she imagined climbing into that other house, down the stairs, and running away never to be found. But she was practical enough to know that she would be in at least as much danger on the street as she was in this house, if not more. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t as they say.

But in the summer before her 10th birthday, everything changed. That day, her aunt had been particularly…difficult. She’d caught Eilonwy sneaking into her library, something Eilonwy did fairly often in order to stop herself from being bored, but she was usually more careful about it. Finally, Achren had locked her into her room, fighting back the tears she refused to shed and give the woman the satisfaction. Biting her lip, she took deep breaths and walked over the window, hoping that something would distract her.

She hadn’t imagined that something would be another person looking back. It was a boy who looked about her age, reddish-brown hair flopping into big brown eyes that stared back at her. He had already opened his window, so she hurriedly opened her window, leaning against the sill. “Hello there. Are you moving in next door? Is that going to be your room? My name is Eilonwy, and it’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

The boy stared at her for a moment, almost as if he couldn’t believe that someone else had opened the window and gone so far as to speak. Part of her was annoyed, half tempted to just close the window and leave him to his staring. But the need for a distraction from what happened earlier was stronger. “You’re not very bright are you? That’s a shame. I was hoping for someone to talk to. But if all you can do is stare at me like a deer faced with a newly built fence this isn’t going to go anywhere at all. Though I do wish you would tell me your name. It makes me feel funny not knowing someone’s name. Wrong-footed, you know, or as if I had three thumbs on one hand, if you see what I mean.  It’s clumsy.”

Whether it was her talking more or the reference to the deer, he shook himself slightly and stared at her indignantly. “I’m Taran. And Dallben said this was going to be my room, but I’m not sure…”

“Well it doesn’t look like a bad room. If it is anything like mine it is probably a perfectly nice room, though I suppose it would be nicer once all your furniture and books and clothes are there with you. An empty room has interesting possibilities, but it isn’t always the nicest place to live.” A thought struck her and she leaned forward more eagerly than ever. “You do have books don’t you? Could I borrow some? I promise I’ll be careful with them and I won’t damage them at all.”

Just then, Eilonwy heard the door behind her unlock. Quickly she darted back in her own room, slamming the window shut just as Achren stalked into the room. Achren glared at Taran’s open window before pulling the blind down and slapping Eilonwy. “Come downstairs this instant, we need to talk about your behavior.” And that was as much as she was able to speak to her neighbor that first day.

It didn’t take them long to move from the occasional conversation to a full blown friendship, even if they didn’t always understand it. But if one of them needed to talk, all they needed to do was open the window and climb out onto the ledge. Soon enough, the other would join them and they could pretend everything was fine. The gap between the ledges was small enough that Taran’s knees brushed the edge of the opposite ledge as he sat. Eilonwy had a little more space, but it wasn’t much. They traded books or studied for class or just talked. It was their safe place.

7 years after the first met, both of them could say that they had changed in a lot of ways, although some things were the same as ever. When Eilonwy marched into her room furious and rubbing the sore spot on her arm, she could see Taran staring at her through the window, his worried expression matched by the speed with which he moved onto the landing after she closed the door. She barely opened the window before he had started to speak.

“I heard the shouting. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It’s no worse than normal.” She smiled a reassurance she didn’t exactly feel as she climbed out onto the landing, sliding into her usual seat. Normal wasn’t exactly good in her world, but she didn’t expect much better. Not until she was able to get out once and for all.

“Do you want to stay with me tonight? Dallben doesn’t mind, especially if you bake since neither of us can manage halfway decent cookies.”

Oh she wanted to say yes. Somehow just crossing to his side of the ledge could make her feel more settled and free than she ever did on her side. But the practical side of her won out and she sighed. “Not tonight. She’s more in the ‘check on me every hour to see if I’m at fault for something else’ sort of mood instead of the ‘pretend I don’t actually live in the house’ mood, so it’s better not to risk it.”

He nodded, although the disappointment was written clearly on his face. He’d heard enough over the years to appreciate the difference so he knew not to push it. “Isn’t she going on a trip this weekend? You could stay over then. I’ll change the sheets and everything.”

Smiling, she pushed him lightly. “Well I’d hope so. There’s only so many times I want to wake up covered in cat hair and who knows what else you get up to when I’m not around.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault. Hen was sick, she had to stay in my room!”

“Mhm. Sure. I’ll pretend that I believe that. Like I pretended when you brought those strays home, or when you ended up with a nest of birds in your room or when Dallben found that - ”

“Ok, ok I get it. You don’t have to go through the whole list.” He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “But you’ll come?”

Eilonwy leaned forward to kiss him. Their first kiss had happened on this ledge a year ago, Taran nervously confessing his crush and barely able to look at her, while she could barely stop herself from laughing in delight. She had guessed after all, but it was different than hearing the words out loud. The kiss had been as much to share her answer as to stop his babbling. Somehow, there was still a sense of that nervous joy around each kiss they shared on this ledge.

“Once she leaves on Friday I’ll come over. I can return Dallben’s books at the same time, and you can tell him that I’ll even make dinner. Which means you two need to have actual ingredients in the house. There’s only so often I can make miracles happen with canned zucchini.”

Just then, she heard Achren’s tread coming up the stairs, most likely to check on Eilonwy. She pressed her hand to Taran’s one last time before scrambling to her feet and back into her own room. “Remember, Friday.” As soon as she said the words, she closed her window quietly and lowered the blind after it. By the time Achren opened the door, Eilonwy was facing her with crossed arms, ready.


End file.
